We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jodi Durr. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jodi below.
Jodi, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
I’m not naturally optimistic. It’s not that it wasn’t modeled for me or that it’s not in my genes—my dad is one of the most optimistic people I know. But for me, optimism has often felt elusive. My mind tends to spiral, and the things that are annoying, frustrating, or negative can overwhelm my thoughts. They become the focus. I’ve seen this in childhood, and as an adult, I’ve battled it as a wife and a mom.
I have a child who is uniquely wired, and we’ve spent her lifetime figuring out how to parent her in a way that best supports her distinct needs and personality. As a teacher and someone who worked with youth, I thought I was fairly equipped to handle motherhood. I was wrong. Raising kids who are uniquely wired challenges everything you thought you knew. There’s a forced humility that comes with starting from scratch, trying to figure it all out.
Look at me again—starting off with the negative. Let’s make the pivot: I am a learned optimist.
Part of our journey has involved seeing therapists and counselors, and I became a sponge. I desperately wanted to do this parenting gig well because it’s the most important role I’ve been given.
Our counselor said to me, “Jodi, you are so blessed. There’s so much good in your life. Think of all you have to be thankful for. This situation is hard, and I don’t want to negate what you’re going through. But you need to change your focus.”
We had sought out a Christian counselor who, alongside his PhD in counseling, focused on the brain. He walked me through scripture that was familiar, yet life-changing.
One of the first Biblical concepts he introduced was from 2 Corinthians 10:5: to take every thought captive. When a negative thought arises, stop it in its tracks and replace it with thankfulness and positivity.
As I practiced taking every thought captive, I memorized Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
When a negative thought reared its head, I would recite this scripture and immediately shift my focus to all the blessings and good in my life.
Learning to become an optimist is hard work. The same counselor said, “I don’t think anyone is just an optimist or pessimist. It’s all about the pathways you continue to create in your brain.”
God wired our brains to be full of connections, and we can train them. It’s like a path in the woods: the first time you walk it, it’s tough. Brambles, weeds, and bushes get in your way. But if you choose to keep walking, clearing the path, it gets easier. Over time, the path becomes natural. It was hard work to get there, but the destination was worth it.
The brain works the same way. As we take every thought captive and replace negativity with thankfulness and positivity over and over, we become optimists.
While the road to this point has had its challenges, I’m truly thankful for the personal refinement and growth that has come through the struggle. I believe this is why we’re encouraged to “rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint” (Romans 5:3-5b).
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Meaningful Mama was born out of my desire to do better and to help equip other parents along the way. Parenting turned out to be much more challenging than I ever imagined. I found myself surviving rather than thriving in this important role.
In 2012, I thought, “I want to be more intentional with my children. I’m also learning so much and want to come alongside others who might be struggling.” The goal was to offer a parenting tip, character-building activity, and craft or activity every day for an entire year.
My posts started off simple and brief, but as I continued blogging, I fell in love with it. It became a creative outlet that gave me purpose. Over time, I’ve grown both as a blogger and as a person. I apologize if you visit my site and find older posts that haven’t been updated yet. It’s a labor of love to go back and refresh them with better photos and descriptions. That said, there’s been so much growth, and it’s been so rewarding to live out my motto: “To inspire an intentional and creative family life.”
At Meaningful Mama, you’ll find a character-building series that focuses on 52 different traits, one for each week of the year, with lessons that can keep you busy every single day. Beyond that, I offer crafts, activities, parenting tips, holiday ideas, party inspiration, recipes, cakes, DIY projects, and more. Everything that inspires me is reflected in the content produced at Meaningful Mama.
I promise to be authentic and strive to be a great resource on this journey we call motherhood.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Three qualities I’ve found most impactful on my journey are teachability, faith, and creativity.
Teachability means actively seeking my own personal growth. Approaching life with humility is essential because it helps me recognize that I need to be a constant student. As I work to increase my knowledge, I have the privilege of passing it on to others.
Faith has also been a key part of my journey. Faith in God allows me to recognize that one of His greatest gifts is the ability to make beauty from the ashes. It brings me purpose, reminding me that I can take whatever I do and point it back to Jesus, following His teaching to love your neighbor as yourself. My hope is that Meaningful Mama can be a light and a resource for others.
The final skill that has been impactful for me is creativity. I’m grateful for the bursts of creativity that inspire my work. We’re each wired with different gifts and talents, and we have the opportunity to pour those into the various roles we play in life. My natural creative bent has equipped me to do what I do.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
It feels cliche for a Christian to say, “The Bible,” but it is true. The Word of God has been essential for developing my entire approach to life. First, it points out the gospel message that we are full of faults. It’s not our works that bring us favor with God, but simply our faith. Living under a banner of grace is freeing. That said, when we put our trust in God, it makes us want to live out His teaching. I want to live by His teaching to love God and love others. My heart is to walk in integrity and show an active love that is full of patience, kindness, love, joy, faith, gentleness, and self-control. When I fail, which I will, I get to land in grace. The Bible is full of proverbs and teachings, which I believe, help direct our paths and live generously and lovingly, making our world a better place.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://meaningfulmama.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meaningfulmama/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meaningfulmama
- Twitter: https://x.com/MeaningfulMamaJ
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0h8Xl-wTWufZdrjoyxHkEQ
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@meaningfulmama
Image Credits
Photos by Jodi Durr
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
